On November 12th, our world changed. Swifties all over the world are rejoicing and dancing along to Red (Taylor’s Version). This second re-recorded album is another part of Taylor Swift’s plan to take control of her music and her narrative after her former record label sold her first six albums to a private equity firm. Always a fan favorite, the long-awaited album has fans freaking out over the themes of raw heartbreak from Swift’s early twenties. Red (Taylor’s Version) features thirty tracks and is over two hours long. Notably, there are nine “From the Vault” tracks, songs that never made it onto the 2012 album that have been reworked since. These songs are a true treat for fans and a testament to Swift’s brilliance as an artist.
Here is our official ranking of the Red (Taylor’s Version) From the Vault tracks:
- “All too Well” (10 Minute Version)
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Stella: So, yeah. This was the most predictable one, and I think it’ll remain on my playlist for the rest of my life. The breakup depicted in the lyrics captures the central theme of this album, and the new extended version is even more emotional than you could imagine. Watch her SNL performance and be prepared to get some chills before bursting into tears!
Ruby: I mean was there any other option? This must be one of the most powerful songs Swift has ever written. It’s so painful and just beautifully paints a picture of a broken relationship in which there’s a major power imbalance. However, its success goes beyond the brilliant lyricism. Swift just perfectly captures how it feels to have your heart ripped out of your chest. At this point, not to be dramatic, but it’s historic. How many people have successfully written and released a 10-minute song? Come on, she made a whole short film for the song. And it’s definitely rare to have such a captivating and long song.
- “Nothing new” (Ft. Phoebe Bridgers)
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Stella: Why didn’t this song make the cut for the original album? It hauntingly portrays the anxieties of women in the showbiz industry about getting older and still appealing to crowds. It makes sense that Taylor wrote this while transitioning from teen country sensation to worldwide pop star, but it’s also incredibly sad to hear her sing “will you still want me when I’m nothing new? Even if you’re not a fan of Phoebe Bridgers, you’ll understand the importance of this collaboration with her deeper vocals blending and contrasting with Taylor’s.
Ruby: This song would definitely be my favorite if it wasn’t for All Too Well (10 min version) being so iconic. Seriously, I could write a whole paper about it, and the opening lyrics are just heartbreaking as they harken to the way the media slut-shamed her for going on dates and living like any other twenty-something. Swift also touches on this deep feeling of emptiness that encompasses people’s early twenties. When you’re seventeen, you have such a secure sureness about the world. And yet, as Taylor writes, you lose that self-assuredness only a mere few years later. The fact that Swift wrote this song during her Red era is also particularly meaningful as it was during this time that she fully became a household name. In Miss Americana, Swift explains feeling stuck at the age of twenty three (her age during the Red era). In “Right Where You Left Me,” Swift tackles this feeling of being stuck in a moment as time moves on and the years go by. “Nothing New” feels like the same storyline as “Right Where You Left Me” but taking us back in time to the moment where she first felt stuck. These two songs fit together seamlessly, and it makes total sense as they are also lyrically two of her best songs.
- “Forever winter”
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Stella: If you need a break from the sadness that is Red, listen to this song! “I’ll be summer sun to your forever winter,” Taylor sings to an unidentified close friend or family member. Yes, this person seems to be dealing with a breakup, so we haven’t strayed too far from the subject, but I like to picture Taylor comforting the listener, no matter what type of experience we’ve been through. It’s not high-energy, but it’s a mid-tempo pop song that will make you feel at least a little bit of warmth on the inside.
Ruby: Swift has said that Red, unlike many of her other albums, is pretty much a heartbreak album. While her other albums touch on a variety of topics, Red sits in the pain of an earth-shattering heartbreak. As such, fans might be a little surprised to hear Forever Winter, but it’s certainly a welcomed surprise. Although Swift has yet to speak out about the song, it can certainly be read as a song about someone struggling with mental health, sung from the perspective of their loved one. This person calls out to their loved one to let them know how they’ll love them at their worst and how if they leave, this person will be stuck in a forever winter. Maybe it’s the fact that the days are getting shorter and winter is coming, but I think this song is very fitting and beautiful.
- “Babe”
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Stella: Just like “Better Man,” we’ve actually heard “Babe” before. Taylor gave it to the country duo Sugarland, who released it in 2018 with her on backing vocals. This version is much more pop than country, however, and her lyric pattern of “what about your promises, promises?” adds a completely new layer to the song. It’s about being cheated on and is inherently something to cry to, but sometimes while I’m listening to it I get a “Better Than Revenge” vibe!
Ruby: This is a certified bop. As Stella explained, it was originally released in 2018. And let me just say, the music video for that is absolutely life-changing. Swift also dons a red wig for that video, so ahem “All Too Well” connection? While it might not stand out as a fan favorite among songs like “Nothing New,” this is the kind of song you find yourself dancing to all of a sudden. I must admit the album’s transition from “Nothing New” to Babe is a surprising but pleasant jolt from sad to happy.
- “THe Very First Night”
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Stella: This song definitely contributed to the categorization of this album as pop rather than country like the original one was, and I’m not complaining! It’s reminiscent of the first stages of a relationship, and its rhyme structure has sparked another #gaylor conspiracy by some fans. But alas, I still think it’s about Gyllenhaal and her wishes to rewind when their relationship got hard (see: the 10 minute version of All Too Well).
Ruby: This is my “Message in a Bottle.” I don’t know how else to describe it. To me, it strikes the perfect balance of bubbly pop and grounded guitar. We follow a, perhaps heartbroken, single narrator who goes out and seems fine, but she spends her nights reflecting on this past relationship. And yet, it’s not a sad song. Swift sings an upbeat song about a past relationship, and it feels like the 2021 version of Holy Ground (another personal favorite of mine) in that she reflects without sadness. It’s basically 1989 Taylor meets Evermore meets “Holy Ground,” and I’m here for it.
- “Message In a Bottle”
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Stella: Someone on the Barnard/Columbia Swiftie group chat said that this song sounds like it could’ve been a lead single from 1989, her 2014 album, and I couldn’t agree more. It’s about the pining type of love and hoping that your crush will return your feelings, so the playful and light melody fits it well. Ruby and I disagree on this one, but I’m wondering why Taylor hasn’t released it until now?
Ruby: Okay, Swifties, please don’t kill me for this one, but I’m not a big fan of this one, especially the beginning. Some people have said that it has Disney teen movie vibes, and I definitely get that. But it’s in a fun way! I’ve definitely heard people say it sounds like 1989, but I’m also getting a bit of Speak Now vibes (very much here for that). And although it’s not my favorite, it’s a Taylor Swift song which means I’ll never skip it.
- “I Bet You Think About Me”
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Stella: This song has been garnering attention since its Blake Lively-directed music video was released on the 15th of November, and while it was a surprising choice to promote, it was quite fitting. These re-recordings have been giving Taylor a chance to revisit her country roots, and this song pairs well with Stapleton’s backing vocals. Plus, her subtle roasts of an ex who is presumably Jake Gyllenhaal make it lots of fun to listen to.
Ruby: I love this song, not because I want to listen to it all the time, but because it really does seem to represent Taylor’s career. Lyrically, it’s a dig to someone she dated long ago, but I can’t help but feel like it’s also transcended and become a dig to Scooter Braun. That’s just too iconic to not believe. The music video directed by Blake Lively has even been speculated to be a big message to Scooter Braun. Also, how could I not mention the return of country Swift?
- “Run” (Ft. Ed Sheeran)
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Stella: It makes sense that Swift and Sheeran released this one as their third collaboration, because it was the first song they ever wrote together. It sounds like something off of one of Sheeran’s first two albums (+ and x) or even Swift’s Folklore or Evermore. A slow song that widely differs from “End Game” but is reminiscent of “Everything Has Changed,” “Run” is a romantic song that will make you want to dance with your S/O, even if you don’t have one.
Ruby: I don’t have a ton to say about this song other than the fact that it was apparently the first song Taylor and Ed ever wrote together. Wow, if there’s anything Red (Taylor’s Version) has given fans, it’s a better understanding of an era we thought we knew all too well. Seriously, I can’t explain why, but the fact that this song was written before “Everything Has Changed” has just shaken me to my core. This song feels much softer and more acoustic than “Everything Has Changed.” It also reminds me of Folklore in that it centers around this idea of escapism.
- “Better Man”
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Stella: This is Taylor Swift, so even the song in last place here is still an excellent one. This one has the second-largest amount of country influence (behind “I Bet You Think About Me”), and she gave it to the country group Little Big Town, who released it in 2017. This version sounds fairly similar, but with less banjos! Taylor’s voice is definitely superior and provides a new level of soulfulness to the track.
Ruby: To be honest, I haven’t listened to this song a ton. And while it’s not my favorite, it definitely holds a special place in my heart as it sounds a lot like Taylor’s debut album. Even the lyrics offer a detailed narrative of a late night heartbreak that’s just perfectly reminiscent of “Teardrops on My Guitar.”
In conclusion, long live the Swifties and keep streaming Red (Taylor’s Version). The album has Scooter Braun squirming as he never could’ve imagined in his wildest dreams (pun intended) that Swift would’ve actually taken the time to painstakingly re-record her album. And stay tuned as to which album Swift will re-record next. Ruby’s hoping for a “Dear John” (Taylor’s Version) (15 minute version), while Stella wants to see “The Story of Us” (Taylor’s Version) or “Clean” (Taylor’s Version) (Original Demo Recording).